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According to a report by OwnGoalNigeria, West Ham United are presently ‘leading the queue’ to sign Paul Onuachu this summer and have now been told exactly what they need to pay for him.

The Lowdown: Onuachu eyed by Hammers…

Amid difficult financial circumstances brought upon by the global pandemic, West Ham may need to get creative in terms of looking for a new striker.

Bolstering the centre-forward position is said to be a priority for manager David Moyes this summer and the Hammers have recently been linked with a move for Genk marksman Onuachu.

The Latest: West Ham now lead race…

As per OwnGoalNigeria, West Ham are ‘leading the queue’ for the 27-year-old this summer and are expected to lodge a formal bid soon.

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The Irons see his valuation as ‘something in the region’ of €10m (£8.5m) rising to €15m (£12.8m), but his club have a slightly larger figure in mind.

“Clubs have been told it will cost €15m (£12.8m) with add-ons that will take it to €20m (£17.1m),” explains a source close to the player (via OwnGoalNigeria).

“That is his valuation not the viral €26m (£22.3m) rising to €30m (£25.7m) after add-ons. This was discussed with teams in England and a bid is expected from one soon.”

The report added that it is expected that West Ham will lodge a formal offer.

The Verdict: Do it…

Having scored an incredible 29 goals in the Belgian top flight alone last season for Genk (Transfermarkt), we believe that Onuachu comes as a potential bargain for West Ham this summer and they should just pay the £17.1m total fee required.

He has also attracted praise from former Wimbledon and England international striker John Fashanu, who called the Nigerian a ‘goal king’ when speaking to Punch recently.

Onuachu could come as a forward who represents real value for money for the Irons if he can even come close to replicating his 2020/21 form should he move to east London.

In other news: ‘We understand’…Sky Sports drop live TV claim as West Ham eye ‘powerful’ striker, find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed some encouragement ahead of the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final clash with Chelsea this week…

What’s the latest?

The club’s official Twitter account posted footage from their Hotspur Way training base on Monday evening as Antonio Conte’s squad went through some of their final preparations.

Just three seconds into the video, first-choice defender Eric Dier can be seen alongside Ben Davies.

The 27-year-old has missed the first-leg of tonight’s encounter and the weekend’s FA Cup victory over League One outfit Morecambe with an injury.

Huge boost

Dier has started all 18 of their Premier League outings this season, meaning the Italian has trusted him to start ever since he arrived in north London to replace Nuno Santo.

Therefore, he will surely be delighted to have the English colossus back in training ahead of a crucial fixture.

Spurs have a lot of work to do to overturn a two-goal deficit against the Champions of Europe but there chances, especially defensively are bolstered by the possible return of Dier to the squad.

In his absence last week, Conte had to deploy a dodgy-looking back three of Davinson Sanchez, Japhet Tanganga and Ben Davies, in which they conceded twice with the former two making key errors.

Just last month, the Lilywhites head coach waxed lyrical about Dier and his potential.

“Eric Dier can become one of the best players in the world in that position,” he claimed (via the Daily Mail). “For sure he needs to work and continue to improve and understand the movement with the defensive line

“He has to lead more, because in that position you have to speak a lot because you have to stay in the middle, at the back where you can see everything.

“He has a great space for improvement but we are talking about a really good player, strong physically with a good personality and good technically because he was a midfielder.”

This glowing endorsement only goes to show how much Dier is admired by Conte and why he is ever so crucial to their fortunes going forward.

The Italian will surely be buzzing to have him nearing full fitness, regardless of whether that comes against the Blues tonight or for their Premier League return on Sunday, when they’ll face Arsenal in the north London derby.

AND in other news, Sky Sports reporter drops huge Spurs transfer claim live on air, fans will be buzzing…

Wolves could end up being short of wingers this window with Barcelona loanee Francisco Trincao reportedly unsatisfied at Molineux and won’t be signing a permanent deal whilst Adama Traore could see his loan move at the Spanish juggernaut made permanent.

In truth, neither player will be a loss for Wolves if they do depart with the duo both netting just one league goal each this season. However, it will leave a void that will need to be filled by Bruno Lage.

Granted, supporters will be keen to see the club show ambition and invest in exciting talents this summer after an impressive first campaign under Lage’s helm.

However, they should be aware that there are some top talents amongst the West Midlands club’s youth ranks, with winger Lee Harkin impressing for the U23s this term.

In the pipeline

The 18-year-old Northern Ireland starlet has featured 15 times in Premier League 2 for Wolves, netting four goals whilst also making two appearances in the EFL Trophy.

After mostly appearing off the bench at the start of the season, the winger is now a regular starter with the Black Country club sat in fifth in the Premier League 2 Division 2 table.

Harkin is very much on the radar of top clubs having burst onto the scene in Northern Ireland for Derry City as a 15-year-old. In a SuperCupNI match against Manchester United in 2018, the winger scored twice, having had a trial at Old Trafford, and was subject to serious praise from manager Martin Smith.

“Lee is a top player,” Smith said. “To have that much talent in the locker at 15 is something else. If he keeps his head and keeps progressing, he will do really well for himself.

“Manchester United know all about him, he was there on trial a month ago. He was very unlucky not to get his hat-trick.”

Lage has already demonstrated that he will offer opportunities to youngsters who are ready with Luke Cundle making three Premier League appearances this term.

With a potential shortage of wingers to come in the summer, the Portuguese manager should certainly be keeping tabs on the 18-year-old during pre-season with the youngster already demonstrating exciting potential.

In other news: Disaster: Lage sleepwalking into huge Wolves error that could have dire consequences

An exciting Newcastle United claim has been made regarding the new owners and their plans for the club moving forward…

What’s the talk?

Magpies journalist Liam Kennedy has claimed that Amanda Staveley and co are not at St. James’ Park to mess about after buying the club from Mike Ashley last month.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I’ve spoken to people who’ve got excellent contacts very, very close to the Saudis and PIF, very, very close to Amanda and Mehrdad and others, and they’re not coming here to mess around.”

Fans will be buzzing

Newcastle fans will surely be buzzing with this claim from Kennedy. His comments suggest that PIF mean business at St James’ Park and are not at the club to have a bit of fun or to oversee mediocrity on the pitch without a care in the world.

There is no hiding how dire the current situation is at the club in terms of their on-field efforts. They are bottom of the Premier League table after 13 games and the signs are not positive for the Magpies after a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal at the weekend.

The Magpies remain the only club in the top flight who are yet to win a single league match and they are currently six points off 17th as it stands. This shows that they are in risk of being cut adrift at the foot of the table and they need to start picking up results quickly or else relegation may become a likely scenario this season.

If Newcastle are relegated to the second tier, at least the supporters now know that PIF will not mess about with them. They appear committed to their plans for the club and, if the dreaded drop happens, they could restructure everything suitably to attack the Championship and return to the top flight before progressing from there.

Their ambition could also be an exciting prospect for supporters ahead of the January transfer window as they could show they mean business with some signings to bolster the squad in an attempt to avoid relegation. The supporters know that they are in good hands either way, whatever their on-field fate at the end of the season, and that may be a comforting and even exciting thought for the Toon faithful.

AND in other news, NUFC to blow rivals out of the water for potential £29.5m deal, fans surely ecstatic…

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Weston McKennie to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), who claim that Antonio Conte has explicitly requested the Juventus midfielder’s signing this summer, a demand that Fabio Paratici is looking to satisfy.

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However, the report also goes on to state that, prior to picking up a metatarsal injury earlier this season, the 23-year-old had proven himself to be an important part of Massimiliano Allegri’s side, something which means the Bianconeri are unlikely to be overly willing to part with the USA international in the off-season.

Conte can axe Winks with McKennie

Considering McKennie’s impressive positional versatility, his quite incredible work rate and his effectiveness in the final third, it is not difficult to understand why Conte would be interested in a move for the central midfielder this summer.

Indeed, according to FBref, the £58m-rated American ranks in the top 8% of midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues for non-penalty xG per 90 minutes, as well as the top 17% for shots, the top 17% for non-penalty xG and xA, the top 20% for non-penalty goals, the top 2% for touches in the opposition penalty area and the top 1% for progressive passes received over the last 365 days.

Furthermore, according to FBref data once again, the £51k-per-week man also ranks in the top 8% of attacking midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues for interceptions per 90, in addition to the top 7% for clearances, the top 9% for aerials won, the top 14% for blocks, the top 31% for tackles and the top 33% for pressures over the last year.

These traits have seen McKennie earn considerable praise from a number of his managers, with Andrea Pirlo dubbing the 23-year-old his “rock” in the middle of the park, while David Wagner described the 31-time capped international as both a “leader” and an “outstanding” talent, before the former Schalke boss went on to add:

“In the No.6 or No.8 position he has the mentality, a real working mentality that you need. And he’s brave on the ball as well. He can be one of the best midfielders in the Bundesliga.”

As such, with the £91k-per-week Harry Winks – who John Wenham dubbed “terrible” earlier this season – looking as if he could be heading for a move away from north London this summer, it would appear a wise move for Conte to indeed allow the England international to move onto pastures new, before bringing in the much more promising McKennie in his place.

AND in other news: “I can say…”: Italian journo drops huge Spurs transfer claim, Conte will be fuming

West Ham United are back in Premier League action this afternoon as they welcome one of their local rivals to the London Stadium.

David Moyes’ men host Tottenham Hotspur in what is sure to be an exciting encounter, with both matches bringing plenty of goals last season.

The Irons will be looking to make it three wins on the trot, having sealed a resolute 1-0 victory over Everton last Sunday and extended their 100% record in the Europa League by defeating Genk 3-0 just a few nights ago.

Both teams occupy a spot in the top seven, with the north Londoners holding an edge in fifth place. A win for the Hammers could see them leapfrog today’s opponents into fourth.

That means Moyes must get his team selection spot on ahead of kickoff. And if Thursday night was any sort of test for some of his fringe stars, then Andriy Yarmolenko wouldn’t have passed with flying colours.

The long-serving Ukraine international has struggled for game time in the past 18 months and failed to take a rare opportunity to impress the Scotsman.

He has played only 33 minutes in the Premier League so far this season and started just the one game throughout the whole of the 2020/21 campaign, as per Transfermarkt.

Yarmolenko started and played the full 90 against the Belgian giants this week but failed to provide a goal or assist. And he was just one of two players to record a rating lower than 7.0 by SofaScore.

The 31-year-old forward managed only one shot throughout the whole game and lost five of his eight duels (62.5%), so evidently, he struggled in front of goal and was rather weak against the opposition.

Much of his time in east London has been like this, however.

Across only 65 appearances since his £18m arrival in July 2018, the versatile attacker has only delivered ten goals and six assists, with injuries and inconsistencies a big factor.

Incredibly, there has often been a lack of effort on his part – as seen by his appearance against Manchester United in the Premier League, further proving why he cannot be starting in the competition.

“I’m not sure David Moyes was entirely happy with the efforts of Andriy Yarmolenko there,” said Sky Sports commentator Rob Hawthorne during commentary. “Still the dialogue is ongoing between the West Ham manager and the Ukrainian forward, who he has just brought on. He certainly wants to see more from him.”

Once dubbed “special” by teammate Declan Rice, Yarmolenko has no right to be involved in the Irons’ starting XI when a team like Spurs come to town.

Moyes must axe the £3.6m-rated flop from his lineup, with Michail Antonio looking likely to return after his absence, along with Said Benrahama, who is surely the first-choice out wide.

He’s never been good enough for the Hammers.

AND in other news, Moyes could unearth West Ham’s next Joe Cole in 19 y/o gem “similar to Jack Grealish”…

Flocking to Twitter, these Sunderland fans seemed less than impressed with the performance of defender Denver Hume against Manchester United’s Under-21s in the Papa John’s Trophy on Wednesday night.

Lee Johnson’s side, looking to retain the cup they won last season, have now secured qualification from Group F as they narrowly beat the Red Devils 2-1 yesterday evening.

Tyrese Dyce opened the scoring for Sunderland on Wearside but it didn’t take long for the visitors to draw level again through United youngster Zidane Iqbal.

Alas, just under ten minutes later, The Black Cats regained control of the contest with Stephen Wearne getting in on the act – a strike which eventually guided Sunderland through the group stage with a game to spare.

However, on what was a solid evening, one man who didn’t impress supporters was Hume – with the 23-year-old losing possession 17 times and losing more than half of his ground duels (SofaScore).

Here’s what Sunderland supporters had to say on the left-back as they took to social media.

Sunderland fans slam Hume…

“Hume looks like he’s just not trying to actually run when we need to defend”

Credit: @safcreportt

“Hume is even out of his depth at this level, he is totally useless. Gives the ball away at this level at an alarming rate. Should not be anywhere near 1st team squad.”

Credit: @DarkKnightFTM

“All Hume does is play the team into trouble time after time.”

Credit: @newby08

“Denver Hume is even out of his depth against Man Utd youngens. He is absolutely dink. He’d struggle in non-league he would”

Credit: @Brysa08

“I’d very much like to never seen him in a Sunderland shirt ever again, please and thank you”

Credit: @MKA97FTM

“Things I learnt tonight watching our kids vs there kids. Denver Hume is a million miles away from Dennis Cirkin, Dyce looks a better back up to Cirkin, thought he was brilliant tonight. Don’t get the fuss or hype over losing Hugill, thought he was ok tonight but nowt special”

Credit: @44stu

An update has emerged on Celtic’s pursuit of Manchester City defender Ko Itakura…

What’s the talk?

According to Sky Sports, Celtic are unlikely to sign Manchester City centre-back Ko Itakura on loan this month despite tracking him over the summer.

The report does not give a reason for the prospective move falling through, but does mention that the Hoops watched him play at the Olympics for Japan.

Fans will be frustrated

Celtic fans will be frustrated with this worrying update from Sky Sports, as it now seems like the Japan international will not be arriving at Parkhead this summer. Although it does not completely rule out the possibility of him coming to Scotland, the signs are not promising at the moment and supporters could be gutted because he could be a shrewd addition to the squad.

The Cityzens man spent last season on loan to Groningen in the Eredivisie and put in some stout defensive performances. In 35 starts, he averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.12, making 4.2 clearances and 2.0 interceptions per game.

Former Dutch footballer Haans Kray lauded him as ‘incredibly fast’ and hailed his impact in the Netherlands. He said: “One of the very best central defenders in the Eredivisie. He can play football well, he can head well and he is incredibly fast. He’s such a good player but Manchester City don’t see anything in him.”

This shows that he has the ability to standout in the Eredivise as a centre-back, whilst not quite having the quality – in Pep Guardiola’s eyes – to make it in the Premier League for the champions. Although it is difficult to judge the difference between the Eredivisie and the Scottish Premiership, Celtic are reportedly closing in on the signing of Georgios Giakoumakis from VVV-Venlo – suggesting that the club believe the skills on show are transferable to their level.

Therefore, he could have been a solid signing for Celtic as he proved himself to be a reliable defender in the Netherlands and could have brought those qualities along with him to Parkhead. This is why fans will be fuming that it is now unlikely to happen.

AND in other news, 100% duels lost: Celtic disaster who made just 3 passes embarrassed Ange vs AZ…

A key update has emerged on Rangers left-back Borna Barisic, regarding interest from English outfit Aston Villa…

What’s the talk?

Club media partner Heart & Hand Podcast has claimed that they have been told that there has been no contact between the two clubs at this stage.

Barisic has been linked with a switch to the Midlands, but the Gers insider has called any reports claiming that talks have been held are false.

They Tweeted: “Asked and been told there has been no contact between Rangers and Villa about Barisic. Any reports to the contrary are false.”

Delight

This update will surely delight Rangers fans as it suggests that there is no serious interest from the Premier League side at this stage. There is less than a month to go until the transfer window opens and you can forgive supporters for being concerned that Steven Gerrard may want to come back and raid his former club.

Whilst this claim from Heart & Hand does not entirely rule out the possibility of the Croatian international departing next month, it does show that nothing is in the works right now and there is no need to worry about his future at Ibrox for the moment.

Supporters would be delighted by him staying in Glasgow as he is a crucial player for the club and his exit would be a huge blow for Gio van Bronckhorst. He has proven his quality in Scotland over the last few years, averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.28 this season after achieving a score of 7.40 last term.

Barisic has won an impressive 61% of his duels this season whilst also creating 2.0 chances per game and making 2.1 tackles and interceptions. This shows that he is able to merge solid defending with quality on the ball to progress the play from left-back, which is why fans would be gutted by his departure and will be delighted by this update on the lack of concrete interest in his services.

Hopefully, Villa will look elsewhere to strengthen their squad instead of raiding Rangers and Barisic will remain at Ibrox in the long term. His statistics show how important he is to the club moving forward and how difficult it would be to replace him in the transfer window, providing another reason for why the fanbase will be buzzing by this news.

AND in other news, 180 duels won: Wilson sealed masterclass with “important” £14k-p/w Rangers colossus…

Wolves took to the transfer market last summer with a ruthless eye. They spent an eye-catching sum of money, paying over £50m for the acquisitions of Nelson Semedo and Fabio Silva.

However, this year has been completely different for the Old Gold.Huge fees haven’t been paid with spending limited at Molineux. Trincao has been added to their ranks on a loan deal but beyond that, not much will catch the eye in terms of incomings.One player they were linked with heading into the summer was Valencia’s Kang-in Lee. Yet, with a release clause of £71m, a deal looked completely off the table.Fresh reports dictate that he may be available for just €10m (£8.5m) and if he is, Wolves must seek out a deal.An attacking midfielder by trade, Lee is one of the most exciting prospects in South Korean football.Dubbed “spectacular” by Valencia great Dario Felman, he made 27 appearances for Valencia last term, scoring just one goal but providing four assists for his troubles during an impressive season.Also capable of playing on the wing, there are plenty of strings to a bow that cuts through opposition defences in devastating fashion.Compared to David Silva, he was in particularly good form during the Tokyo Olympics. Lee found the net on three occasions for his country, demonstrating that he has the qualities to thrive on the biggest of stages.Speaking about his game previously, Valencia academy director Luis Vicente Mateo said: “He is willing to learn every day, regardless of whether he is in first or second-team training. He is a player with outstanding talent.”His numbers aren’t the greatest just yet but Wolves have proven themselves to be the perfect club for young players coming through.You only need to look at Pedro Neto who captured the imagination with some dazzling performances last term, ending the campaign as the club’s Player of the Season and their joint-top scorer.What’s particularly exciting about Lee’s style of play is his close touch control. The 20-year-old completed 1.6 dribbles per game last term – a tally that would have placed him fourth in the Wolves squad.Considering just how young he is, those numbers will only improve. He must be at the top of Wolves’ priorities for now.AND in other news, Wolves eye swoop for “tenacious” 37-cap warrior, he could be their new Ruben Neves…